As all of you probably agree, adopting your dog(s) is one of the best decisions you have ever made. You may also agree that your dogs have taught you a thing or two over the years, and rescuing our boy Riley has taught us how resilient dogs can be.

Riley was found wandering the streets of a not so nice part of town, with ears that had been cut by a person that had no business doing so. His ears were infected, he was in serious pain, and had clearly been in the wrong hands. With Riley weighing in at 90 pounds and a muscular physique, all we can assume is that somebody decided to take advantage of him. Luckily there are more good people in this world than there are bad, and a wonderful rescue helped bring Riley back to good health. He had some healing to do, but was ready to find his forever home. We were aware of Riley’s story and were ready to bring this handsome boy home to our family. We fell in love with Riley pretty quickly. Why, you ask?
1. As Riley would probably agree, it was love and kiss at first site. The moment we brought Riley out of the shelter he planted a big smooch right across my face and we knew we were friends for life.
2. This 90 pound sqeezealicious dog (yes, I said sqeezealicious!) doesn’t really know he’s 90 pounds. Riley believes he’s 5 pounds, 10 pounds, at most. So, naturally, we nicknamed him “Tiny”. He leaps onto your lap like he’s light as a feather, he climbs onto your lap while you’re sitting at your desk, and he thinks he can fit into small spaces, like your pillow, while you’re sleeping.
3. Don’t be fooled by his macho exterior, Riley is a love bug. He just wants to cuddle. And kiss. If anyone needs a hug, Riley is your man.

4. Riley loves everyone. He finds a friend in anyone, any person, any dog, any cat.
5. Through the heart ache, pain and difficulty this dog has faced in his short life, he is trusting, loving, and kind to all living beings. Even though he may not have been shown the same kindness, he has been able find compassion and forgiveness in his own heart. And for this, I will forever admire Riley. How could this dog be so kind, so gentle, and so loving after all he’s been through? I’m so proud of him and proud to call him a member of our family.
Riley is the reason our family rescues dogs. Even though he may have a past that is unknown or difficult to understand, he is not broken, he is just misunderstood. Riley’s story represents the countless number of homeless animals across the world, and we hope his cute little self will inspire others to adopt.

Now Riley has a family of people and dogs, and has accepted a new puppy and best friend into his life, our little Jax. Learn about Jax and his rescue story in part 3 of this series coming this week! You can see the inspiration for this 3 part series in Saving Jax and Riley, part 1 by clicking here!